as I near her, I can’t help but grin in return, feeling a sense of calm settling over me and wondering what it is about her that’s drawing me in.
“Where you headed?” I run up to her.
“Just down the road.” She points in the direction of my house.
“Me too.” She continues to smile and begins to walk. I take that as an invitation to walk beside her. I’m at least a foot taller and have to slow my stride so she can keep up. “New in town?”
Her eyes widen. “Um no, I’ve lived here my whole life.”
“Lucky girl.” My fingers tap my thigh continuously, resisting the urge to reach out and touch her, find out if her skin is as soft as it looks. I knew last night she was a local; it was obvious the way she and her friends were laughing at all the people who’d come back for a few nights of debauchery for UCSB alumni weekend.
She sweeps her bangs away from her forehead, glancing at me out of the corner of her eye, her dark lashes blinking and her pace slowing.
Her smile fades a little. “Not really, just . . . circumstance.”
Damn, I want to see that sweet smile back on her pretty face, but I’m also dying to know why she doesn’t think growing up in a beautiful seaside town wasn’t the greatest hand dealt to her in life.
“Well, let’s hope your luck’s about to change now that you’ve met me.”
Her face lifts with a sudden smile, and she begins laughing. “That may be one of the cheesiest lines I’ve ever heard.”
“Hey, at least I’m honest.” I know I’m grinning from ear to ear, and I begin to walk backward so I can get a better look at her while we talk. Her smile vanishes, and her delicate, dark eyebrows instantly furrow in thought, until she realizes I’m right in front of her.
“You’re going to trip,” she chides, “and I’m not big enough to catch you.”
Her casual demeanor is back and she’s right. I am going to trip because I can’t focus on anything but her enticing lips.
I stop abruptly, and she walks right into me. My arms circle her, keeping her steady as she gets her balance. She’s laughing. It’s coming from deep in her belly, and her whole body is shaking as she lets me hold her close, her forehead resting on my chest, my body feeling a slight jolt.
“Why did you stop?” Her voice vibrates through me, and I gently tighten my arms around her.
“Because, this is my street.” I’m rocking her back and forth in my arms, my bare chest lighting up with the feel of her so close to me. She’s not pulling away and it feels . . . natural.
Pushing back on me slightly she scans where we are. Her eyes widen in surprise. “How did we get here so fast?”
I shrug. “You were so busy checking out my abs you weren’t paying attention to your surroundings. Lucky for you, I knew where I was going.”
Glaring at me, her arms across her chest, I can’t help but watch the way her breasts are pushed up higher by her arm placement. “I was not checking out your abs, boob boy.”
“What the hell is that name for?” I can’t hide the amusement in my voice.
“It means that my face is up here, not on my chest where your eyes keep wandering.” Her hand is moving around her breasts and for the moment, she’s right, I am staring at her chest because she has really nice breasts. But, that’s not what I’ve been staring at this entire walk home.
Stepping into her personal space, I stop her flailing arms and immediately grab her attention. “While your tits are definitely worthy of a little gawking, it’s your mouth I’ve been infatuated with since the moment you wrapped it around that Corona bottle last night.”
She visibly swallows, and I take another step closer, her face tilting up to look into my eyes. “And you were checking out my abs.” Watching her eyes fill with panic, I step back, and her shoulders relax at the distance I’ve placed between us. Interesting, I make her uncomfortable. Maybe it has to do with that douche she was with last night.
Looking down the street, I’m wondering which building she could possibly live in, and hoping it’s at least across the street from mine. “Show me where you live so I know where to stalk you.”